How to Overcome Anxiety and Shyness in Public

When we’re in public places, there’s a certain element of the unexpected that can make us feel nervous, shy, and uncertain. If you’re struggling with confidence in public situations, these tactics can help.

Understand Why it Happens

Anxiety and shyness are not uncommon emotions to experience when faced with an unfamiliar or intimidating situation. Most people do not have these feelings at home or around family because these places have no sense of danger. We generally know how our loved ones will react to us, so we can act appropriately.

In public, it’s a different game. You’re uncertain about how people will perceive you and how they will act in turn. The inability to predict what will happen can cause a great deal of anxiety. You may pull back into a shell of shyness and avoid interaction with the people around you because you’re afraid that they will react poorly and negatively judge you.

Reframe the Threat

Step back and look at the perceived threat from a different perspective. Imagine how it would look to others. What would your sister, your best friend, or the guy in the next cubicle say about your fear of riding public transportation or going to a new doctor’s office? What would you say to someone else who was expressing this fear? When you shine a different light on it, you may find that it’s not so terrifying after all.

Identify Your Real Fear

What are you actually anxious about? If you’re feeling shy about riding the bus, force yourself to identify exactly what you’re afraid of. If you feel like other passengers are judging your outfit or watching you to make an analysis of where you live, force yourself to confront the actual likelihood of either scenario. You will probably find many fears unfounded.

Talk About Your Anxiety

Expressing your anxiety out loud can help you minimize the perceived threat. Seek some live psychic advice on the matter. Hearing yourself express your fear out loud may help you realize how insignificant it really is. You’re also likely to discover that your phone psychic sees no threat in the experience you’re worried about either.

Visualize Success

Before your next public encounter, take a few quiet moments and envision the event going off successfully. Imagine yourself confidently blowing everyone away and making it through the day without a problem. If you get stuck on a particular fear, take the time to work through it until you’ve found a solution that allows you to get through the encounter problem-free. Hang on to that feeling of success and channel it the next time you’re in public to help you overcome your fear.

Realize that you really have little to fear in public, and you’ll soon find yourself smashing through your own mental barriers and approaching life with confidence and bravery.